Gym Program for Soccer

stiofain2005

I have just joined the gym again in college and am looking for some advice on a gym program.I havent been to the gym properly in around 2 years.

Im looking to get stronger without adding much size. Basically im sick of being knocked off the ball. Im six foot and 79kg.

Im looking at going twice a week ie Monday and Wednesday. I train with the football team on tuesday and thursday with game on sunday. I also do 30 mins of light cardio(bike\row\cross trainer) first thing in the morning to burn a bit of fat and wake me up.

Diet on a normal day would be
Breakfast - Muesli and Orange Juice and Egg

Snack - Breakfast bar

Lunch - Wholewheat pita bread with banana or chicken

Snack - Rice Cake with Philadelphia

Dinner - Wholewheat Pasta with some chicken and sauce

Snack - Microwave Popcorn

Also some turkey before i go to bed.

Although im not taking it at the minute i have some Pro X for when i start doing weight training at the gym.

I was reading about the 5x5 training program.Would this be good for me? And any ideas what exercises i should be doing on each of the days.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

zappb

In a similar situation. My team trains on wednesday - trying to catch up fitness wise - so i train on monday and friday with other aerobic exercises thrown in.

Don't rush any weight training. You want strength that can be turned into power - generally lifting weights is not useful for soccer because all movements in soccer last less then a second.

With this in mind, i would probably do some weights, but turn it into power with polymetrics.

How is your aerobic and anaerobic conditioning?

What about speed?

Like i said don't rush into anything, and any strength program you get into, think in terms of 6-9months - and then you can start a fresh program at next years pre season.

I have a set of ebooks that are very useful for soccer which you can get here
http://www.total-soccer-fitness.com/?hop=0

btw...your diet is a really excellent soccer diet. plenty of carbs - 60% carbs 20% protein 20% fat

personally i'd be worried about over training as well - you train monday tuesday wednesday thursday -

recovery is crucial - your body adapts to the training only during recovery - so why not move your wednesday sessions to friday, or just go swimming on wednesday to help speed recovery up. This obiouvsly depends on the intensity of your mid week sessions - if your only doing light ball work and some sprint work, you may be able to fit in more sessions without over training.

Slow and steady wins the race - the risk is diving into it at 110 miles per hour and then ending up injured or with shin splints and having to sit out a few weeks.

zappb

just to give you some ideas, here is the strenght training section of the book


Section 2 - Strength & Power Conditioning
Muscular strength forms the foundation of nearly all athletic movements. Not only is it crucial for resisting challenges and winning tackles, the right type of strength will increase your speed, range of passing and jumping ability. Here's what you'll find in this section:
Why lifting weights in the traditional "3 sets of 10 reps" is waste of time for soccer players.
The 4 phases of a strength training program and exactly when they should occur.
Periodization explained in the simplest of terms and how you can use it even if you only train 2 days a week.
The most effective way to prevent long-term injury with THE most important phase of any strength program.
How to develop maximal strength, explosive power AND superb strength endurance without one compromising the other.
Core strength training and how to develop your "center of power".
The most important type of strength for soccer and whether traditional weightlifting can actually be detrimental.
How to use plyometrics safely and effectively to increase your power (and speed) and your jumping ability (great for goal keepers and winning aerial challenges).
Sample strength programs and sessions for the four different types of strength with exact sets and reps.
The best strength & power exercises for soccer (you won't find them in fitness magazines or general weight lifting books).
Sample circuit training routines specifically designed for soccer that combine strength and endurance.
Dozens of animated images so you know exactly how to perform each exercise correctly and safely.

Superdub2

zappb wrote:

In a similar situation. My team trains on wednesday - trying to catch up fitness wise - so i train on monday and friday with other aerobic exercises thrown in.

Don't rush any weight training. You want strength that can be turned into power - generally lifting weights is not useful for soccer because all movements in soccer last less then a second.

With this in mind, i would probably do some weights, but turn it into power with polymetrics.

How is your aerobic and anaerobic conditioning?

What about speed?

Like i said don't rush into anything, and any strength program you get into, think in terms of 6-9months - and then you can start a fresh program at next years pre season.

I have a set of ebooks that are very useful for soccer which you can get here
http://www.total-soccer-fitness.com/?hop=0

btw...your diet is a really excellent soccer diet. plenty of carbs - 60% carbs 20% protein 20% fat

personally i'd be worried about over training as well - you train monday tuesday wednesday thursday -

recovery is crucial - your body adapts to the training only during recovery - so why not move your wednesday sessions to friday, or just go swimming on wednesday to help speed recovery up. This obiouvsly depends on the intensity of your mid week sessions - if your only doing light ball work and some sprint work, you may be able to fit in more sessions without over training.

Slow and steady wins the race - the risk is diving into it at 110 miles per hour and then ending up injured or with shin splints and having to sit out a few weeks.

do you rate that E book??

zappb

Yea it is very useful for me.

its actually 4 ebooks - and i brought them to a printers to print out, i thought it was that good.